Chapter 3542 — What Is the Heavenly Dao

"Indeed. Haven't you noticed how unusually thick the spiritual essence of heaven and earth is here?" Wei Zhao nodded and said.

"Hm? So it is!" Earlier, Tang Zhi had been too eager to look around to pay any mind to the spiritual essence. Only now, at Wei Zhao's words, did she abruptly realize that the essence here was several times denser than in the outside world—far, far more than in Snow Valley!

At that thought, Tang Zhi quickly sat cross-legged on the ground and circulated the Heartless Art...

Time slipped by, and by eight the next morning, the Inheritor and Tianchan had been summoned alone to the open ground behind the inn. Perhaps Ancestor Xuanchen had sensed something amiss with Tianchan, for he did not let her take part in the Heavenly Tier Assembly.

Thus Wei Zhao's standing at the assembly grew even more precarious, and it became all the easier for Ancestor Xuanchen to work his plan.

In the meeting room, the trial participants—and even those tied to the Inheritor, such as Bingtang, Xueli, and Elder Anye—had been stationed on the open ground below the inn. When Wei Zhao entered the meeting room, the atmosphere within struck him as indescribably oppressive.

The looks cast his way were strange as well. Kang Jingming had already quietly woven his web among them all, so these people now regarded Wei Zhao with a certain pity—for in their eyes, he was bound to become a sacrifice in the Cloud Terrace Island scheme.

What surprised Wei Zhao was that he actually saw Tagan Long. This creature must be a vital piece of Ancestor Xuanchen's plan; otherwise the old man would never have risked provoking him back then, forcing Sun Jingyan to heal it.

"Ahem, very well. Now that everyone is here, the Heavenly Tier Assembly shall formally begin!" Ancestor Xuantian had entered the meeting room after Wei Zhao, Kang Jingming following at his heels. Yet to everyone's surprise, he and Kang Jingming took the seats to either side of the head of the table rather than the center seat.

Could some guest of even higher station be arriving? The trial participants all fell to whispering among themselves, eager to know what on earth was happening—who could possibly outrank the Five Luminaries Sect? How could such a thing be?

"Silence!" Kang Jingming's expression turned stern. "Let us welcome with warm applause the envoy from Cloud Terrace Island, the Lord Libationer Nantian!"

The title of libationer was a post on Cloud Terrace Island akin to that of a mentor. It could be high or low in standing, but judging by the lofty airs Kang Jingming put on, this man was likely a personage of consequence—and he did not look old, no more than forty or so.

By appearance he seemed about thirty. A man like this on Cloud Terrace Island was surely a figure of boundless prospects; otherwise he would never have been sent to the secular world on assignment.

Just as the crowd was struck dumb with astonishment that Cloud Terrace Island had actually sent someone, a dark shadow flashed into the head seat of the meeting room with a *whoosh*—coming without a trace and going without a shadow, with not the slightest warning. None could tell whence the thing had come.

"A primordial spirit?!" Wei Zhao looked at the newcomer in astonishment. This was no physical body but something akin to a primordial spirit. An ordinary cultivator might have missed it, but Wei Zhao dealt with two primordial spirits day in and day out, and he saw the man's nature at a glance.

No sooner had Lord Libationer Nantian sat down than he heard someone call him a primordial spirit. He gave a cold snort. "Who is this little whelp, daring to pass judgment before this libationer? Xuanchen, is this the caliber of cultivators in your secular world?"

"Pray calm yourself, Lord Libationer Nantian!" Kang Jingming sneered inwardly. What luck Wei Zhao had—offending Lord Libationer Nantian the moment he arrived! Little did he know that Nantian had already received a hint from Ancestor Xuanchen; even without this incident, Nantian would have found occasion to make trouble for Wei Zhao. "This one is a wild, unaffiliated cultivator by the name of Wei Zhao, a posturing sort. Pay him no mind. A man like that will only be courting death once he reaches Cloud Terrace Island."

"Indeed, Kang Jingming speaks the truth. Do not fancy that because you command the winds and clouds in the secular world, you amount to anything on Cloud Terrace Island. Once there, you are the lowest of newcomers, no different from any other newcomer to the island. If anyone still thinks himself a great figure, he will die a wretched death without this libationer so much as lifting a finger!" Lord Libationer Nantian nodded. "As for you, Wei Zhao—you think that because this libationer is here only as a primordial spirit, you may strut and swagger? Very well. I shall remember you. This primordial spirit clone of mine may be nothing much, but should you cross paths with my true body on Cloud Terrace Island, you will die most miserably!"

Wei Zhao had not expected a single careless remark to earn him such enmity from Lord Libationer Nantian. It hardly seemed plausible. Could it be... that Nantian had already struck some secret accord with Ancestor Xuanchen and Kang Jingming? Most likely that was it—otherwise, why would the fellow single him out for no reason?

Wei Zhao quietly committed Lord Libationer Nantian's features to memory. Once he reached Cloud Terrace Island, he would keep out of his way for now and bide his time for a chance to dispose of him.

"Ha ha, Lord Libationer Nantian, do not lower yourself to his level. Now then, shall we speak of our journey to Cloud Terrace Island and the matters to be mindful of?" Kang Jingming laughed heartily, immeasurably pleased with himself. In his eyes, Wei Zhao's death was already on the countdown.

Even if Wei Zhao swallowed his pride over the coming matter, once he reached Cloud Terrace Island his death was certain.

"Mm. First, I shall speak to you of the Heavenly Dao—of what the Heavenly Dao is!" Lord Libationer Nantian's words made everyone present hold their breath, Wei Zhao included.

For they had all heard it said that above the Heavenly Tier lies the Heavenly Dao, but what exactly the Heavenly Dao was, no one knew. Whether it was a rank or a general term, none could say.

So when Lord Libationer Nantian made to explain, all of them hastily pricked up their ears.

"The so-called Heavenly Dao is the pursuit of the Heavenly Dao. What is the Heavenly Dao? It is a road to heaven. And what is meant by reaching heaven? It is none other than true cultivation!" Lord Libationer Nantian said. "You are now the strongest among humankind, but at bottom you are still human. Your cultivation is but the tempering of body and qi, whereas the Heavenly Dao pursues true cultivation. If you are to be called true cultivators, then above the Heavenly Dao stand the true cultivators! As you are now, you amount only to the qi-tempering stage of true cultivation. Only when you truly set foot in the foundation-establishment stage does true cultivation begin—that is, the beginning of the Heavenly Dao! And at that time, you will find yourselves stronger than ever before!" RS